1. Field
This application relates generally to wireless communication and more specifically, but not exclusively, to an address updating scheme.
2. Introduction
A variety of techniques have been developed to enable a node in a network to establish communication with other node in the network. For example, an access terminal (e.g., a cell phone) in a cellular system will typically be set to idle mode when a call is not active to conserve battery power. When information needs to be sent to an access terminal, multiple access points in the system may page the access terminal in those areas that are near the location where the access terminal last communicated with an access point. Upon receiving such a page (e.g., by waking up at designated times), the access terminal may connect to a nearby access point to enable the information to be received at the access terminal.
In a data network, a network device may discover the Internet Protocol (“IP”) address of another network device on the network through the use of a domain name system (“DNS”). Here, DNS servers keep track of the domain names and the IP addresses assigned to devices in the network. Thus, a device that needs to access another device in the network may acquire the IP address of that device from a DNS server by providing the fully qualified domain name (“FQDN”) to the DNS server.
Connectivity issues in wireless applications may not be adequately addressed by the above techniques. For example, a mobile access terminal may have intermittent connectivity and, as a result, its IP address may change frequently. Furthermore, capabilities such as DNS may not be available in a mobile environment. Hence, there is a need for effective techniques for establishing connectivity in wireless networks.